The Gathering Note

Over the last few days a number of folks have sent links to my attention.  it didn’t take too long for me to realize that there was no way I would be able to get around to doing a substantive post on each and every item that was sent my way.  Much to my regret, my day job keeps me busy and while I wish I could devote every hour of my down time to analyzing and writing about music, I do have to maintain some balance.  So, I leave it to you, our readers, to investigate the following. 

Program Notes has an interesting piece on how to program new music.  I have given the article a quick once through and will revisit it when I have a few moments.  This paragraph hits on the major focus of the post and raises a good question about the purpose of new commissions:

Now, I would take a bullet for Mason, and I adore his music and particularly Liquid Interface, but I want to ask the slightly provocative question which is: would the National Symphony accept something from him that they had to play every year, or every two years? I can’t imagine that they are going to be happy to schlep out the hi-fi and cart Mason in from Berkeley if, for instance, Leonard Slatkin isn’t there to make it happen. So, is that commission an adventure for the orchestra, or just for the conductor and the composer? As far as I’m concerned, an adventure is a journey that is in some way transformative for the acting party or parties; a piece of music that enters into the repertoire, into the cycle, is more likely to be transformative than one that happens for just one night.

If new music isn’t your thing, there are unsettling changes up north with a complete overhaul of the CBC.  On the chopping block is nothing less than the 70 year old CBC Orchestra.  The changes started with CBC radio programming changes.  Needless to say there are advocates for and against the changes.

In recording news the local Finisterra Trio will be recording Daron Hagen’s complete piano trios next weekend.

John O’Conor is in Seattle tonight.  I mentioned this in the Upcoming Events post a few days earlier.  It’s worth mentioning again.  O’Conor has built a career on his Beethoven interpretations and the low ticket price make this a recital not to miss. 

Finally, because there is so much classical news to be covered out there, if you would like to be contributor to this blog send me a message by clicking “contact” at the top of this page.  You don’t need to  be a professional writer, but you do need to know how to write.  You don’t need to be from Seattle or the Northwest, in fact, it would be nice to branch out beyond Chicago, Portland and Seattle.